Pope Benedict XVI encourages us to go
deeper in our prayer life by using a classical method---- “Lectio Divina”. The retired
Pontiff strongly exhorted followers of Christ to utilize the Word of God as
fertile ground for delving into the depths of prayer.
Our intention in this short article
is to offer the steps the Holy Father suggests and a touch more to motivate us
to never tire in growing in our union with God through a deeper prayer
life. Prayer has no limits given that
prayer is union with an eternal and infinite God! Here are the steps…..
A.) Lectio--- Take in your hands the text you have chosen to meditate
upon and then read it. However, before reading invite the Holy Spirit, known as
the Interior Master, to help you in prayer. Then the prayer of the young Samuel
can be yours: “Speak, O Lord, for your
servant is listening.” What a privilege is yours--- that God now wants to
speak to your heart!
St. Ignatius of Loyola
B.) Meditatio--- Now we want to apply the use of our memory and understanding to
understand what God is trying to say to us though this text. Rejoice in the
fact that God right now has a special message He wants to communicate to you
through this reading and meditation! Be open to God; think and pray. Be bold
enough to ask the Lord: “Lord God exactly what is the message you want to
communicate to my heart and life right now?”
The Holy Spirit hears you and will respond!
St. John of the Cross-- the Mystical Doctor
C.) Contemplatio--- Now utilize another mental faculty that God has endowed you with and
that is the use of your IMAGINATION! We
all have an imagination--- maybe a very vivid imagination. However, the
imagination is like a two-edged sword; it can be used for good or for evil. For
evil, as a married person, it could happen day-dreaming about a past
girl-friend, thereby committing adultery of the mind, leading to adultery of
the heart. The imagination used for good might be to imagine walking side by
side with the Good Shepherd (Psalm 23/John 10) and contemplating the loving
gaze of the Good Shepherd peering into your eyes, hearing His gentle and
reassuring voice, and experiencing His strong but loving embrace around your
weary shoulder. In sum, our imagination must be trained for the pursuit of
good!
Jesus as model for prayer
D.) Oracio--- Now we have
arrived at the very heart of the essence and purpose of Lectio Divina and
prayer itself—oracio, meaning prayer. When the mind or imagination sparks an
idea that descends to the heart, it is time to open up in prayer. This means,
now open up your heart and talk to the Lord in the most simple, trusting and
intimate way. Our Lord is a great God,
but He is never too busy for us and always ready and willing to listen to us
whenever we decide to talk to Him. This
conversation with the Lord can be a few minutes, a half an hour, an hour---
whatever length the good Lord inspires in the depths of your heart.
Mary brings her prayer into her life
E.) ACCIO--- Authentic prayer must be brought into the reality of our lives. The woman Doctor of prayer, Saint Teresa of
Avila, made this acute observation. The acid test to prove that prayer is
indeed authentic is by the manifestation of how prayer has affected our lives.
Jesus Himself reminds us that we can tell the tree by its fruits. A good tree
will bring forth good fruit; a bad tree will bring forth bad fruit. A person who is truly praying with sincerity,
honesty, rectitude of intention, and love for God will bring forth fruits or
virtues in his/her life. From the tree
of his life will blossom and flourish the following: faith, hope, love,
humility, purity, meekness, patience, obedience, self-control, mortification, and
fortitude. Our Lady is our example at all times. In the Annunciation we
contemplate Mary in prayer as a contemplative. In the Visitation, after Mary
finishes her prayer, she hurries to bring the fruits of her prayer in service
to her cousin Elizabeth! May Our Lady’s example motivate us to be “Contemplatives in action.”
St. Francis-- a true follower of Christ
F.) Transformacio--- Indeed if our Lection Divina is true, authentic,
the “Real-thing” then there will be a gradual transformation in our daily
lives! There is a saying: “Tell me with
whom you associate and I will tell you who
you are.” Another one of those timely proverbs of the past hammers it home:
“Birds of the flock stick together.”
Our aim should be to implement the words of the great Apostle Saint Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but it is
Christ who lives in me.” This is
the ultimate goal of Lectio Divina and all authentic prayer--- the imitation of
Jesus Christ, the following in His footsteps, and the transformation into His
very essence and being.
What are you waiting for? Why not
start today your own Lectio Divina! Choose your text, read, meditate,
contemplate, pray, live out and allow God, through the working of the Holy
Spirit, to transform you into the saint that God has made you to be!
